First published in the March 31 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
The La Cañada High School varsity softball team collected a 6-2 Rio Hondo League victory over visiting South Pasadena on Tuesday afternoon.
The win helped the third-place Spartans (9-4 overall record, 3-2 in league) pull within a half-game of San Marino (3-1 in league) for second in the league standings.
LCHS sophomore pitcher Elle Leckrone dominated the Tigers, twirling five shutout innings with seven strikeouts while finishing 2-for-2 at the plate, with a pair of RBIs and a run scored. Freshman Abigail Milton blasted a triple with three RBIs and a run scored, while junior Kyra Davis tallied a base hit with two runs scored and a stolen base.
“Kyra is someone who is willing to sacrifice her at-bats for the team. She lays down a bunt when we need it, she did it again today and for a second game in a row, a sac bunt turns into a base hit,” LCHS head coach Travis Lovejoy said. “She really does everything she can to help this team win; usually I have her at second base, but today I had her in the outfield — she is a team-first player.”
Sophomore catcher Ashley Lovejoy tallied a base hit and an RBI, while senior infielder Amy Lyman and sophomore infielder Mia Salardino each notched a base hit and a run scored. Meanwhile, junior infielder Riley Breckheimer and junior utility player Kayla Salley each finished with a base hit.
The Spartans (9-4 overall record, 3-2 in league) earned their second league victory by edging visiting Monrovia, 5-4, last Friday. LCHS overcame a 4-3 deficit in the bottom of the seventh inning as Milton stepped to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded and promptly blasted a ground-rule double to walk it off for the Spartans.
“Bases loaded, two outs and she hit an absolute bomb to center field that just missed being a home run,” Travis Lovejoy said. “What a joy for her — a freshman getting her first walk-off victory for the high school team.”
Leckrone went 3-for-3 with a double, a walk and an RBI at the plate while pitching a complete game with five strikeouts to earn the win.
Davis collected a pair of hits, two runs scored, an RBI and a stolen base, while senior outfielder Kylie Sever tallied triple and a run scored. Lovejoy and freshman infielder Bentley Lebrecque each registered a base hit, while senior outfielder Nicole Wong stole a base and scored two runs after reaching on a pair of walks. Salardino recorded an RBI, and Lyman reached on a walk.
Visiting La Cañada was shut out 10-0 by Moorpark in a nonleague game last Thursday while being held to only two hits. Leckrone collected a double in three at-bats while pitching three innings of one-run ball with four strikeouts. Wong tallied a base hit and Sever reached on a walk.
The Spartans are scheduled to visit Temple City for a rematch on Friday, March 25, at 3:30 p.m. LCHS will look to even the series after falling to the Rams, 6-1, earlier this month.
FLINTRIDGE SACRED HEART
The visiting Tologs scored 20-plus runs in two of their past three games after crushing Muir High of Pasadena, 23-3, in a nonleague game last Friday.
Freshman Ava Nawrocki led FSHA, going 3-for-5 with a double, a triple, five RBIs and four runs scored. Junior infielder Marie Milton collected a pair of doubles, four RBIs and a run scored, while sophomore infielder Megan Milton went 3-for-4 with a double, three RBIs and three runs scored. Sophomore pitcher Isabela Guerrero, who finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs and three runs, tossed five innings and allowed three earned runs on six hits with six strikeouts.
Junior outfielder Charlotte Taylor went 3-for-4 with a double, three runs scored and two RBIs, and senior outfielder Lola Low had a pair of hits, walks and runs scored while adding an RBI. Junior infielder Elizabeth McCarthy produced a double with a pair of RBIs and runs scored, senior captain Victoria Ramirez registered two hits and three runs scored. Junior infielder Meghan Garrity blasted a triple with an RBI and a run scored, junior infielder Cassandra Huston recorded a base hit and an RBI. Senior infielder Caitlin Cruz had a base hit and a run scored.
The Tologs crushed visiting Los Angeles Marymount, 13-1, in a Sunshine League game last Thursday. Ramirez tossed five dominant innings in the circle where she registered six strikeouts, two hits against and one unearned run. She also went 2-for-4 with two RBIs at the plate. Garrity finished 2-for-2 with a triple, two walks, four RBIs and three runs scored. Senior outfielder Maddie Napierala collected a pair of hits, including a double, three RBIs and a run scored. Marie Milton tallied two hits, two RBIs and four runs scored, Low recorded a base hit and three runs scored, Guerrero scored twice and senior outfielder Faith Blea had a base hit.
FSHA won a lopsided league matchup at Los Angeles Notre Dame Academy, 22-0, last Tuesday. Guerrero allowed only two hits over five strong innings with 10 strikeouts, while the offense scored in every inning, including a 10-run outburst in the third inning. Marie Milton went 5-for-5 with three triples, four runs scored and three RBIs, while Nawrocki collected a pair of triples with four RBIs and four runs scored. Senior catcher Olivia Ocon finished 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, an RBI and a run scored, and Garrity tallied a double, a base hit and three runs scored.
FLINTRIDGE PREP
The visiting Wolves were edged at Westridge in Pasadena, 7-6, in a Prep League game last Friday. The loss sent Flintridge Prep (2-6-1 overall, 1-4 in league) into sixth place, a half-game behind the Tigers and Palos Verdes Chadwick.
The Wolves won a league game at Chadwick, 11-7, last Wednesday as sophomore Marissa Halley finished 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored while sophomore Asta Uziel went 2-for-3 with a triple, three RBIs, two runs scored and two stolen bases. Junior Eliza Gunter tallied a pair of hits, RBIs and runs scored, senior Luna Tobar finished 2-for-3 with a double, two walks and a run scored, and junior Sarah Bougdanos tallied two hits, two runs and an RBI. Sophomore Alex Von Thaden registered a base hit and a run scored, junior Madison Lin had an RBI and a run scored, and freshman Elise Fong scored once.